Asia Cup 2025: Decoding scenarios for UAE and Pakistan
What's the story
The ongoing Asia Cup 2025 has reached an interesting juncture with Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) competing for the second spot in Group A. India have already qualified for the Super 4 stage with two wins from as many games. Oman, meanwhile, have been knocked out. The upcoming clash between Pakistan and UAE on September 17 will be a virtual knockout match, determining who joins India in the next round of the tournament.
Tournament overview
India confirm Super 4 berth
India have been a dominant force in the tournament, having defeated both UAE and Pakistan by huge margins. The Men in Blue confirmed their Super 4 stage spot after UAE beat Oman, who have already been knocked out after two consecutive losses. Now, ahead of the crucial Pakistan vs UAE clash, we look at what each team needs to do to secure a spot in the next stage of Asia Cup 2025.
Qualification path
Pakistan's route to Super 4
If Pakistan beats UAE, they will earn two points and finish with four points in total. This would see Pakistan finish among the top two teams in Group A and qualify for the Super 4 stage along with India. The scenario is exactly the same for UAE as they need to upset Pakistan in order to qualify for the next stage. Meanwhile, India's remaining Group A game against Oman is a mere dead rubber.
Tiebreaker rules
What if the match gets abandoned ?
In case the Pakistan vs UAE match gets abandoned due to rain, both teams will get one point each. This would see both UAE and Pakistan finish on three points each from three matches in Group A. In this case, net run-rate would come into play. Currently, Pakistan have a better net run rate (+1.649) compared to UAE (-2.030), which would help them qualify for the Super 4 stage of Asia Cup 2025.
Information
Have UAE ever beaten Pakistan in T20Is?
In T20I matches, Pakistan have a perfect record against UAE, winning all three encounters. While their first meeting took place in the 2016 T20 World Cup, the two sides recently played two games in the UAE tri-series.